DSL-3: Distanced Love
by yukikoneko1990
Summary: REVISED! Third in my 'Different sorts of love' Series. Hichigo watched as Ichigo grew stronger despite having to sacrifice a lot.


**I don't own the characters of Bleach. Inspired by the song "Sk8r boy" by Avril Lavigne.****I suggest you listen to the song before you read the story.****I CLAIM NO RIGHTS TO ANYTHING.**

* * *

When I first saw him, I have to say I thought little of him. It took another, closer look to see the boy he was and the man he had the potential to be.

He had the mind, he had the body, but he lacked the skill; something easily acquired through practice.

Ichigo Kurosaki had the potential to become the best sword master in Seireitei, if only he didn't have people keeping him back.

Rukia Kuchiki, his supposed 'girlfriend', was the one stunting his growth. She was a jealous little bitch. I often wondered what he was doing with her. She wanted to make a Lord out of him, just like her brother was.

Why Ichigo was suffering that, I didn't know. It was later, much later that I found out why.

It was obvious Ichigo loved her.

Did she love him? One can only guess. Maybe she loved the notion of 'curing' his 'scarred soul', of her helping him heal; making a prince out of a pauper.

But in my eyes, Ichigo needed none of that.

He was beautiful. When he had a sword in his hands, he looked godlike.

Like the very God of Death.

But _Lady _Rukia saw none of that. All she saw was her brother's disapproval and her friends looking down on him and her by extension.

* * *

**All of her friends stuck up their nose;**

**They had a problem with his baggy clothes.**

* * *

Pitiful.

When I heard people saying that Ichigo was planning to leave his Master and move in with Rukia and her brother I was determined to do anything to stop him. But someone acted before me.

Thank the gods.

Ichigo's friends finally saw Rukia for what she was and managed to make Ichigo see the reality of the situation as well.

A week later, Rukia and Ichigo broke up and Ichigo completely devoted himself to becoming a swordsman.

* * *

**He was a skater boy she said 'see ya later, boy';**

**He wasn't good enough for her.**

* * *

I observed him from afar; watched him grow; watched how he got better every day.

I didn't dare approach him. I was happy with just observing him.

But fate had other plans.

I don't know what made me go to his Initiation ceremony. I guess I just wanted to see him receive the reward for all his hard work.

He looked gorgeous.

His hair was now long, bound at the top of his head, falling down his back. His cinnamon eyes were harsh, but there was a kindness behind that harshness; compassion and understanding I was happy he didn't lose.

He carried himself with pride and with the grace of a warrior.

He was simply beautiful.

He was named one of the officers of the 13 protection squads. He was to serve under Captain Kisuke Urahara, his mentor and friend. I had no doubt that he would soon be a Vice-Captain; no doubt at all.

The Initiation Ceremony ended and I was about to leave when a familiar voice stopped me. He was standing there with a small smile and his trusted Tensa Zangetsu at his hip.

"I'm sorry; I'm in a bit of a hurry." I said, trying to get away from him. To be perfectly honest I was a bit afraid.

"Oh." He said and his smile turned slightly sad. "Well then, I don't wish to keep you. I just-I saw you around a few times. I just thought we could finally meet face to face." He said and I could practically feel the blood rush to my cheeks.

"Erm-" he chuckled and took a step closer, offering his hand to me.

"Ichigo Kurosaki. It's a pleasure." He said and I, although reluctantly, accepted his offered hand.

"Hichigo Shirosaki. The pleasure is all mine."

Somehow we ended up going for tea together. One tea turned into another; once a week turned into every day.

I enjoyed his company and something told me it was reciprocated. He was _different_when he was with me.

He was smiling, his shoulders were relaxed, but there was an awareness around him; like he was ready to jump in a minute's notice.

A year passed and he was named a Vice-captain. All of Seireitei knew about him. He was one of the best, almost in rank with the Captains. It was only the question of time until he became a captain of his own squad.

And of course, with success and fame, came the money and stature.

But Ichigo never changed, at least not with me and his old friends. With others he was Vice-captain Kurosaki, the Black Fang of Seireitei.

But with me he was Ichigo; just Ichigo.

But as no happy time lasts forever this time had to come to an end.

Souske Aizen, Tousen and Gin Ichimaru; three captains of the Protection Squads turned rouge and tried to overthrow the government of Seireitei. Somehow they've gained control over the Mercenaries of the Outer lands, Hueco Mundo, and a war broke out.

Ichigo went to fight, and no matter how much his friends and I wanted to follow him he just wouldn't allow us.

And so the times of anxiousness and waiting and prayers started.

In the end, what would later be known as the Winter War came to Seireitei. Most of the Captains, even the Captain Commander were out of commission.

The civilians were brought higher into the city citadel and we saw everything. We saw the end of the war.

Luck wanted it so that _she_ was in the same room as I.

As we watched, I saw him and I realized why I watched him for so long; why I wanted to be close to him. I realized why I needed him.

I realized I was in love with him.

He was named a temporary captain of what was once Aizen's squad. He led them as a true born leader. Fighting side by side with all the other remaining Captains and Vice-captains, he looked like he belonged right there.

He looked like a true war-lord.

And even though I realized I loved him already, I fell in love with him all over again.

"That is Ichigo?" I heard Rukia ask and spared her a sideways glance.

* * *

**She tags along, stands in the crowd,**

**looks up at the man that she turned down.**

* * *

"Aa. That is Kurosaki-kun." Inoue Orihime, one of Ichigo's friends, said and I could hear pride in her voice. Pride all of us close to Ichigo felt for knowing him, for being allowed to call him our friend, for being allowed to have him fight for us, fight to protect us and everything we believed in.

My eyes focused on the battlefield and I sought him out again. He wasn't hard to spot. He and Matsumoto-san were the only orange-heads on the field.

He was fighting on the frontlines and Gods did he look good.

My heart was beating loudly in my ears and I didn't even realize how hard I was shaking until I felt someone's hand on my shoulder.

"You should calm down. He'll be just fine." Urahara-san told me and I gave him a cocky grin.

"'Course 'e'll be fine! He's _yer_ vice-captain, ain't 'e?" Urahara-san smiled at me from under his straw-hat and sat on the chair beside the window, one I occupied until I became too worried to sit still. His right arm was wrapped in bandages and his right leg was broken in more places than I cared to know; the only reason why he wasn't out there fighting.

"Kurosaki-san will come back, Hichigo-san. You'll see." I looked at him for a moment. My mind was trying to process his words. He sounded so sure of himself.

Soon I felt slightly more at ease and I smiled, looking back out.

'Yeah, 'e'll come back. Fer sure.'

My heart stopped several times already. Somehow the whole thing came down to Ichigo and Aizen fighting. As much as it was frightening, for Aizen had years of experience above Ichigo, that much more it was beautiful.

Ichigo's form was perfect, each slash, parry and thrust having its own purpose; there were no missed shots.

* * *

**Now he's a superstar,**

**slamming on his guitar.**

**Does your pretty face see what he's worth?**

* * *

I wanted to be there with him. I wanted to go there to make sure things go right.

A part of me was so angry with myself.

Why didn't I tell him? Why didn't I tell him what I felt for him?

What if-what if something happens? What if he doesn't come back?

Urahara-san's hand on my shoulder was the only thing grounding me at that moment. I was so close to bolting right out of the citadel.

And then it was all over.

I only remember seeing Aizen fall and running out of the citadel. I didn't know if anyone tried to stop me or if someone followed me. All I knew was that I had to reach Ichigo. I had to make sure he was alright.

The mercenaries were forced to flee and the remaining officers were celebrating. I was running between them, not seeing any of them. I was running towards the front lines.

I thought I heard someone call for me but I didn't care. I finally reached him. When he turned and our eyes met, I have never felt so relieved in my life.

Yes he was hurt, there were a few serious slashes on his body, his left arm was hanging limply by his side and his katana was lying broken on the ground.

"Hichigo-" When my name escaped his lips I moved; and not a moment too late. When he tried to take a step towards me, his knees gave out.

He started to fall.

And my heart stopped.

* * *

**(Third POV)**

* * *

"ICHIGO!" Hichigo shouted and caught the falling man moments before he hit the ground. "I need a medic 'ere!" He shouted and carefully settled Ichigo on the ground with his head of orange hair in his lap.

"Easy there, Hi-chan. I'll be fine." Ichigo said with a tired smile.

"Shut up, ya idiot. Ya're bleedin' all over tha place." Hichigo said trying to smile for Ichigo, who smiled and leaned his head back slightly.

"Don't worry, baka. You're not getting rid of me that easily." He said and Hichigo's shoulders sagged slightly.

"Ya better keep tha' promise, Cap'n Kurosaki." Hichigo said teasingly and Ichigo chuckled before he groaned in pain.

"It's Vice-Captain Kurosaki for you, mister." He crocked out. Hichigo smiled and brushed Ichigo's bangs back from his sweaty face.

"Ya've always been a Cap'n fer me, Ichigo. Righ' from tha very start."

* * *

Hichigo would come to the Houses of Healing every day, even if Ichigo was asleep. He was in a healing sleep and he was coming along nicely.

It was the fourth day after the battle. The ceremonies for the deceased were over. The only remaining ceremony was Ichigo's Naming Ceremony. Hichigo was practically giggling while he was walking toward Ichigo's room.

The orange head will be named captain the moment he was well enough to receive the honor. Tensa Zangetsu was reforged, waiting for its master to wield it again.

"Please, Unohana-san. I only wish to see him." Hichigo felt his guts tighten when Rukia's voice reached his ears.

"I'm sorry, Kuchiki-sama, but Vice-Captain Kurosaki is in a healing sleep and you have nothing to do there." The smirk which took over Hichigo's face was huge and he rounded the corner to see Unohana standing between Rukia and the door to Ichigo's room.

"Top of tha mornin' to ya, Unohana-sama." Hichigo greeted and the gentle woman smiled widely at him.

"Shirosaki-san! You're back, I see." She said and Rukia turned to look at Hichigo who just gave her a small uncaring nod.

"I came ta see if there were any changes." Hichigo said.

"Ichigo is getting better every day. He could wake up any moment now. Are you going to sit with him today as well?" The look on Rukia's face was enough to make Hichigo grin.

"'Course! I wanna be there when 'e wakes up jus' ta knock some sense inta 'im." Unohana giggled.

"Hey! How come _he_ can go in to see Ichigo?!"

"That's Vice-Captain Kurosaki for you, Kuchiki-san." Hichigo said. Unohana smiled knowingly at him and turned to face Rukia with an empty smile.

"Vice-Captain Kurosaki was awake when he was brought in and he named the people who could visit him while he was recovering and I'm sorry to say that you, Kuchiki-sama, weren't on the list." Rukia's eyes widened and Hichigo chuckled silently.

* * *

**Sorry girl but you missed out,**

**well, tough luck, that boy's mine now.**

**We are more than just good friends;**

**this is how this story ends.**

* * *

"I'm goin' in, Unohana-sama."

"I'll see you later, Shirosaki-san." Hichigo smirked at Rukia while he was passing by her and entered the room.

Hichigo was just opening the drapes on the windows of Ichigo's room when he got his life scared out of him.

"Would you mind leaving those closed?" Hichigo turned and saw two cinnamon eyes looking at him. "Hey."

Hichigo let out a hysterical chuckle.

"Took ya long enough, ya bastard." Ichigo smiled and swallowed with slight difficulties. Hichigo helped him drink some water.

"Sorry. I'll try not to do it again." Hichigo smiled.

"Ya better. I'll go get Unohana-sama ta check up on ya." Hichigo was about to turn when a surprisingly strong grip on his wrist stopped him.

"Hichigo-"

"We'll talk later. We 'ave time." Ichigo smiled at him and nodded.

"Come back after Unohana leaves. I don't think I'll be going to sleep any time soon." Hichigo chuckled at that and shook his head.

"I'll be righ' back."

* * *

"Shirosaki-san!" Hichigo swallowed a growl and turned to face Rukia with an expressionless face.

"Yes, Kuchiki-san?" He said and the woman looked up at him.

"I-" Hichigo sighed and rolled his eyes when the woman tried to say something for the fifth time.

"Look, princess." She flinched at the stab and Hichigo suppressed a grin. "Ya had yer chance an' ya blew it."

* * *

**Too bad that you couldn't see; see the man that boy could be.**

**There is more than meets the eye, I see the soul that is inside.**

* * *

"Ya're no longer a part of Ichigo's life. Face it an' move on. 'E doesn't need ya. All tha people 'e needs 'ave been with 'im up ta this point and they will continue ta do so. Turn away an' leave." Hichigo said and turned away, not waiting for the woman to speak. Ichigo's check up was done and he had to be there to hear what is to happen next.

And to knock some sense into the self-sacrificing idiot.

Hichigo smiled when he entered the room and found Ichigo sitting in his bed, leaning on fluffed pillows, his eyes staring into the distance. The warm breeze which entered the room through the opened window played with Ichigo's hair and Hichigo felt something in his guts tighten.

"Weren't you supposed to knock some sense into me?" Ichigo asked and threw Hichigo a sideways glance. Hichigo chuckled and sat down in the chair besides Ichigo's bed; the chair he occupied while he waited for Ichigo to wake up.

"It can wait." Hichigo said and Ichigo smiled. He leaned back into the pillows with a sigh and looked fully at Hichigo. The white haired man frowned. There was a look in Ichigo's eyes he's never seen before.

A king of longing.

"Ichigo-"

"Hi-chan." Ichigo interrupted him with the nick-name which made Hichigo shiver every time it would pass Ichigo's lips. Ichigo's eyes were turned away from Hichigo, and his fingers were twisting the edge of his cover between them. It looked as if he was nervous about something and Hichigo couldn't think of anything that would make the sword-master so nervous.

* * *

**He's just a boy and I'm just a girl,**

**can I make it any more obvious?**

* * *

"You know, while I was out there, fighting, even though I was supposed to completely concentrate on the fight I couldn't help but think of someone." Hichigo's heart stopped beating for a moment.

"I kept thinking that I had to survive it all just to be able to finally tell that someone how I felt about them. I kept thinking that, if I died out there, I would forever regret never telling them how I felt about them; how much I loved them." Hichigo felt bile gather in his throat and his heart constricted. He looked at his hands, fisted in his lap 'What if Ichigo-'

"Hichigo?" Said man looked sharply at Ichigo who gave him a small, weak smile. Hichigo swallowed over the load of bile in his throat and felt his heart flutter.

"Ichigo, I d-"

"I promised, Hichigo. I promised to myself, if I survived, I would tell him. I would tell him how much I wanted him to be with me every day. I fought so that I could make that possible." Hichigo's heart was beating so hard he was sure Ichigo could hear it.

"Hichigo, I-" Ichigo looked away and swallowed. Hichigo smiled. It felt as if a burden the size and weight of the world was lifted off of his back. He stood up and sat down beside Ichigo on the orange-head's bed. He placed a gentle had on Ichigo's fists and the soon-to-be-captain twitched and sharply turned to look at Hichigo with wide, confused eyes.

"I know. I know."

* * *

**We are in love, haven't you heard**

**how we rock each other's worlds?**

* * *

**(Hichigo's POV)**

* * *

I know I must have looked like a mad man with the grin that was surely decorating my face. I was grinning so hard my face hurt, but I just couldn't stop.

Ichigo's Ceremony was just about to be over. He stood on a raised dais with Captain-Commander Yamamoto who just handed him Tensa Zangetsu and his Captain overcoat. From this day forth Ichigo was formally a Captain of the 13 protection squads and I never felt this proud.

Our eyes met and Ichigo smiled at me and my heart fluttered. I was getting used to it; that feeling.

I was getting used to the thought that Ichigo was mine just as much as I was his.

* * *

"Hichigo!" I turned to look at him and smiled at him. The banquet begun and people have finally moved onto feasting on the delicacies which were prepared in Ichigo's honor.

"Well, well, if it ain't _Captain_ Kurosaki." Ichigo grinned at me and wound an arm around my waist. My eyes closed on their own when Ichigo kissed me. Now _this_ was something I hoped would forever awaken this fluttering feeling in my guts.

Ichigo tasted of cinnamon and cream. Everything about him was about strength, but under that strength was a gentle caring streak which I was proud to say, only me and three others ever witnessed.

We parted and he smiled down at me.

"Will you ever stop teasing me about it?" He said and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. His arms were wrapped around my waist and I couldn't help but think how _right_ it felt to be held by him like this.

"Erm, le' me think 'bout tha'." I said, pretending to really be thinking about the answer for a moment, while he chuckled and shook his head. "Maybe after a while." I said with a grin and he laughed. "Ya 'ave somethin' against it?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Whatever makes you happy, koi."

Several hours passed until the party was officially over and Ichigo and I had the chance to leave. Ichigo took me to his new chambers and we finally had a moment to ourselves. Ichigo sighed while he was taking off his overcoat.

"Tired, koi?" I asked and rubbed his tense shoulders. He groaned under my ministrations and I couldn't help the shiver which ran over my body.

"A little. It was a tiring day."

"Come ta bed, love." I said and he turned around to kiss me before leaning back and smiling at me.

"Let me just go and tell Hanatarou-san to summon everyone for a meeting in the morning. I'll be back in a moment." Ichigo said and I nodded.

"Dun be too long." He gave me a half smirk, half smile and nodded.

"Not even in my dreams." I smiled and watched him leave his-_our _rooms. I sighed and sat down on our bed.

We've come a long way. Sometimes it was hard to believe this all wasn't just a dream.

Sometimes I think I'll wake up and find myself still observing him from afar; hoping to one day gather the courage to approach him.

But then he would come and smile at me and everything felt so _real_ I couldn't help but grin like a loon.

Things are as they should be. Sure there would be times when I'd worry myself silly, but that was the price of being a captain's consort.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

**DAMN! I just LOVE the two of them together! Such unexplored material!**  
**Hope you liked it!**  
**Reviews inspire! ;)**


End file.
